Life's What You Make It
by Oliviet
Summary: Carlos has been shot and Gabby worries she'll never get to hear his voice again. Mike and Susan are blissfully happy, until someone from the past interrupts it. Lynette is battling her Cancer and her kids. The Hodges struggle to keep their secret.
1. Chapter 1

Okay so this story branched out from a dream I had. In the dream Gabby was over at Edie's with Carlos. They were explaining to her how they wanted to get back together. Then Victor shows up with a gun. He shoots Carlos out of rage and the bullet goes through Gabby too. (It was a dream, don't ask me how this is possible.) So Edie goes over to this drawer and gets a gun and shoots Victor. She kills him then calls 911 and Carlos and Gabby are rushed to the hospital. This is where the story starts.

"Edie please." Gabby begged. "You don't need him like I do. You don't _love_ him like I do."

"It's not just about that anymore," Edie growled. "I have this prime opportunity for blackmail here."

"Haven't you done enough?" Gabby asked. "You messed with Mike and Susan for years, burned her house down, and caused her to get into this whole Ian-Mike love triangle. They should have been married for at least a year by now. They should already be able to hold their baby. But _you_ had to go and ruin it all. Now that they've finally gotten their lives back on track, you come and mess with Carlos and me!"

"Well excuse me, but you were _divorced_ and _engaged_," Edie spat back.

"I made a mistake, all right?" Gabby confessed.

"So why should _I_ be punished for _your_ mistake?" Edie asked.

"Because you don't love him!" Gabby practically screamed.

Gabby could feel her anger boiling. _Why was Edie doing this?_ she asked herself. All she wanted to do was be with Carlos and now that Victor was gone, Edie was the only obstacle in the way.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. But as she laid there in the hospital bed holding Carlos' hand, she felt tears well up in her eyes.

"Why isn't he awake?" she asked choking back tears.

"How am I supposed to know?" Edie asked coldly.

"See, don't you see?"

"See what?"

"You don't even care!" Gabby cried.

She couldn't hold the tears back any longer.

"Carlos could be dead, he could die and you're over here acting all sarcastic. You could care less about him. You only care about his offshore bank account!"

"How dare you!! How can you say I don't care? I tried to kill myself for him!"

Susan walked into the room. She noticed Gabby's tear-stained face and Edie's signature "arguing" stance.

"What's going on?" Susan asked.

"Nothing," Edie said coldly.

Gabby sobbed quietly.

"Why do I know that's not the answer," Susan inquired skeptically.

She was answered with silence.

"Well?" Susan demanded.

Gabby looked up. With her free hand she wiped away her tears.

"Who do you think deserves to be with Carlos?" Gabby asked.

"What?" Susan asked.

"Me or Edie?"

"Do _not_ put me in the middle of this," Susan pleaded.

"No opinion Susie Q?" Edie asked.

"Don't call me that!" Susan snapped.

"Why? Does it remind you of Karl?" Edie teased.

Susan clenched her fists. Karl was a part of her past she really didn't want to think about anymore. Unfortunately every time she looked at Julie, she saw him. She loved Julie, she really did. It was her ex-husband she couldn't handle. She looked out the window trying to find Mike. He smiled and she couldn't help but smile back.

"It's up to Carlos," Susan finally said. "Asking me this would be like asking you to choose between Mike and Ian for me."

Gabby and Edie both looked at Carlos' fingers laced with Gabby's. Their eyes met and Edie sighed.

"Take him," Edie said.

"And the bank account?" Gabby asked.

"What bank account?" Edie asked, heading towards the door. "I know nothing."

Edie turned to leave.

"Wait!" Gabby called.

Edie turned back around.

"Thank you," Gabby said, gratefully.

Edie shrugged and left.

"Carlos," Gabby whispered, "Edie gave up. We can be together."

"Forever," Susan added.

"Right," Gabby smiled. "Forever."


	2. Chapter 2

"Just like that?" Lynette asked.

"Just like that," Susan said, sipping her tea.

"That seems so unlike her," Bree said.

"It _is_ unlike her," Susan quipped. "Trust me, I know."

"Why would she give up so easily?" Bree thought out loud.

"I want to know what the thing about the account was," Lynette said.

"Apparently," Susan started, "Carlos has this illegal bank account that only he and Gabby knew about. Then when he was gone, probably with Gabby, Edie went snooping around and found the papers for it. She's been using it to blackmail him. That's how she got him to propose, saying she would testify against him if he didn't."

"So, this thing could have been done weeks ago? Gabby and Carlos might not be in the hospital right now?" Bree asked.

"It's probable," Susan said.

"Edie messes everything up," Lynette sighed.

"Amen to that!" Susan quipped.

"I'd better go," Bree said. "I should get dinner going."

"I envy you," Susan stated.

"Why, because I can cook?" Bree asked.

"No, well yes, but that's not what I meant," Susan said.

"Then what did you mean?" Bree wanted to know.

"Well," Susan started, "You're eight months pregnant, and you can still manage to do everyday things. When I was eight months along with Julie, Karl did everything."

"Didn't the doctor assign you to bed rest?" Lynette asked.

"Well yes. Julie caused some complications." Susan placed her hand on her stomach. "I hope it won't happen with this one."

"It won't," Lynette assured her. "I've been pregnant three times and the twins were the only ones that gave me trouble…until they were born anyway…"

Susan stifled a laugh. Bree started gathering her things.

"I'll see you tomorrow!" Bree called leaving Susan's house.

"Bye Bree!" Lynette and Susan called back in unison.

"I'd better go too," Lynette said, standing up.

"Do you need to make dinner too?" Susan mocked.

"No. I have to eat it. Tom has a new dish for the restaurant," Lynette told her.

"All right," Susan started, "See you later Lynette."

"Bye Susan!" Lynette called, leaving.

Susan sighed at the empty house. Julie was staying at friend's house tonight and Mike had been called away on an emergency plumbing job. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Nothing," she grumbled.

Her stomach growled.

"Especially when you're eating for two," she said, holding her stomach.

She was just about to pick up the phone and order a pizza, when Mike walked in carrying just that.

"You read my mind," Susan grinned, rushing over to greet him.

"Must be that whole 'true love' thing acting up again," Mike returned.

He set the pizza down on the table by the door and put his arms around her waist. Susan put her arms around his neck and stared up into his eyes. Mike pulled her in for a kiss. When he pulled away, Susan buried her face in his shoulder.

"What if this had happened to us?" she asked.

"If what happened?" Mike inquired.

"If Ian had gone all psychotic on us…" Susan trailed off.

"Wasn't and isn't going to happen," Mike assured her. "You're safe with me."

"Gabby was safe with Carlos too," Susan countered.

"Ian is not Victor…or Edie," Mike told her. "Come on the pizza's getting cold."

Susan nodded and followed him to the dinner table.

"This is the exact kind I had a craving for!" Susan exclaimed, opening the box.

"We're like psychically connected or something," Mike told her.

Susan nodded and took a bite of the pizza. As she chewed, she tried not to think about Ian and all the horrible things he could've done. But for some reason, she couldn't.


End file.
